Lessons from Dry January: How I went sober as a final year in Manchester

Dry January. Two words that should not be in the same sentence and have historically evoked feelings of disgust in me. January is already the worst month in the year, why would I want to make it worse? It has exactly the same energy as anyone who runs over 5k for “fun” or reads on public transport (don’t hate me for saying what we all think).

However, despite all my grievances, student finance wasn’t dropping until mid-January so on a desperate quest to save money (and challenge the alcoholic accusations) I decided I might as well give it a go in an “I tried it so you don’t have to” kind of manner.

Waking up at 4pm on the 1^st January with a splitting hangover, this felt like a brilliant idea – entering exam season and 2025 as a woman with her life together. However, despite proclaiming it would be easy with fewer opportunities to drink, there was endless yearning for the pub as opposed to yet another library trip.

So, whether you want a sober month at uni or your New Year’s Resolution was to drink less in 2025, here’s my guide to managing sobriety without entirely giving up my social life.

1. Still go out!

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There is absolutely no need to treat sobriety as a punishment and isolate yourself by sitting at home and missing out on social events. All this does is make you miserable and reinforce the idea you can’t have fun without alcohol. The UK is a nation of pub-goers, particularly true in Fallowfield, but there is no rule that you have to have a pint: Pubs do serve other drinks.

These drink replacements are they key to success as just having a physical drink in hand makes you feel more involved. Saying that, don’t limit yourself to water, instead try an alcohol-free drink with all the taste but no hangover – go back to childhood and get a J2O or Coke sans vodka!

One of the big misconceptions is that we need alcohol to have fun but it’s not alcohol that makes a night out fun, it’s the people. Yes, you may not be inhibition free but with the right people that doesn’t matter, and it may even stop you making bad decisions.

2. Revel in the lack of hangxiety

The morning after your sober night out you probably won’t be jumping out of bed at 7am but hopefully will still be able to the face the streets of Manchester.

Wave goodbye to waking up and wanting to bury yourself alive thinking about what you did, or said, or the texts you drunkenly sent. Say farewell to having to self-isolate due to the shame that comes hand in hand with being in the vicinity of 256. If you are still getting up to sober mischief, the downside is there is no excuse for your actions: No more pulling the “sorry I was drunk” card. 

3. Look for alcohol-free activities

If you want alternatives, there are plenty of alcohol-free activities to fill your time. Having your friends’ support is vital so whilst these can be taken on as solo missions, it is always more fun to try new activities with friends.

• There are multiple settings where you can catch up with friends that don’t need to be over a drink. There’s a lot to be said for a coffee date: It gets you up, kickstarts the day and is a good opportunity to try the café you’ve been eyeing up. Manchester is also filled with lots of restaurants you may not know about so this is the perfect time to explore.
• If you like the outdoors go for a walk around Fletcher Moss, go tulip picking at Birch Farm Flowers in Salford, or relive your DofE days and hop on a train to the nearby peaks. For those of you with cars, here’s a list of day trips near Manchester.
• Try your hand at something new: Axe throwing, bowling, a cheese crawl, bubble football, a haunted walking tour, candlelight concerts, fluorescent painting classes, escape rooms, pottery classes, the list goes on.
• Impress your lecturers by visiting some of Manchester’s cultural sites: Manchester museum (go and finally see the T-Rex), Museum of Illusions, The Whitworth, John Rylands Library, the Football/Police/Science museums.
• Enjoy a film either with the recliner £7.99 chairs at Printworks, or treat yourself to a visit to the Everyman.
• Pick up a new hobby (because the pub is not a hobby) e.g. baking, crafts, yoga. The SU has a society for everything!

4. Take the money you’ve saved and treat yourself

Alcohol is outrageously expensive when all added up, so as a reward save all the money you would’ve spent drinking and splash out on something you really want. Girl maths says that this saved money is actually free, so you are literally getting a reward for your efforts. Instead of the normal fear I feel checking my bank statement, last month I felt rich.

As a post-exams reward, I booked a return flight to Madrid for the equivalent of 10 pints from the Vic and told myself the rest of the trip was free. Thinking like this helps you consider if those pints are really worth it if you can save up and occasionally treat yourself in different ways you might actually remember.

5. Look at the health benefits

I know I’m not the only one who has woken up after a night out feeling like death warmed up, worried their liver is starting to fail. Uni drinking culture can take its toll and having a break resets your mind and body for a new semester. 

A deep dive of the NHS website reminded me alcohol is a depressant and essentially a poison no matter how nice it tastes. Though not poisoning myself for a month didn’t exactly turn me into a morning person, there is something nice about not going to sleep with ringing ears and waking up groggy from a partial hangover.

Honestly, I almost hate to admit it and prove the experts right, but Dry January was not nearly as bad as it sounded and a surprising success. It doesn’t have to be all or nothing and life is just as fun without alcohol if you are with the right people. I definitely don’t intend to give up drinking completely, but I now feel more aware of its consequences and, hopefully, will follow my own advice (no promises x).